Pneumatically sprung railway car truck

ABSTRACT

A railway truck is self-contained to receive car bodies of different sizes and includes a bolster, vertical and horizontal air springs. Transoms are provided to permit longitudinal movement of the side frames with respect to each other. A source of air is connected to provide air pressure for both the vertical and horizontal air springs.

United States Patent [191 Russell-French [in 3,826,202 July 30, 1974 [75] Inventor: Harry M. Russell-French,

Philadelphia, Pa.

[73] Assignee: The Budd Company, Detroit, Mich.

[58] Field of Search... 106/171,182 R, 192, 197 B, 106/197 T, 193, 208.1

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1946 Buckwalter 105/197 T 2,908,230 10/1959 Dean 105/182 R 3,022,748 2/1962 Lich 105/192 3,398,700 8/1968 Baker 105/182 R 3,512,482 5/1970 Lich 105/182 R X 3,646,893 3/1972 Sundby 105/182 R X 3,695,186 10/1972 Herring, Jr 105/171 3,720,175 3/1973 Russell-French 105/182 R X Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King Assistant Examiner-Howard Beltran [57] ABSTRACT A railway truck is self-contained to receive car bodies of different sizes and includes a bolster, vertical and horizontal air springs. Transoms are provided to permit longitudinal movement of the side frames with respect to each other. A source of air is connected to provide air pressure for both the vertical and horizontal air springs.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENIEU JUL3 01914 SHEET 2 OF 3 PNEUMATICALLY SPRUNG RAILWAY CAR TRUCK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The so called Pioneer truck, of the type described in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,908,230, to W. B.'Dea n, issued Oct. 13, 1959, has been extensively used for many years and has given excellent service in both local and high speed runs over long periods of time with minimal service requirements. The objects and advantages of this type of truck are detailed in the patent referred to and need not be repeated here.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention is an improvement on the pioneer truck based on experience, study and analysis of sales, operation and service of the prototype truck, in general, the aim of the present invention is to provide a truck of this type which is more nearly selfcontained and more easily connected to and separated from the vehicle or car which it serves. Another aim is to make the truck sturdier and more dependable for the very high speed service which is increasingly demanded. Another object is to make the truck lighter,

less expensive, and easier to service.

To attain these objects, the bolster has been transferred from the car body assembly to the truck assembly, with side bearings of the car on the bolster side support bearing surfaces instead of bolster side bearings on the truck side frames, as in the patent. This allows somewhat more freedom of movement of the side frames and provides separation of the truck from the car at a single point at the center or king post instead of having to disconnect the air springs and side anchor bars from the car body, as in the earlier truck. This also improves the transmission of traction and braking loads from the track wheels to the car body.

In the prior truck, the side frames were connected at a center post assembly by inboard projections from the truck side frames. In the present invention, the truck side frames are connected by transverse transom bars fore and aft of the bolster which provides ample weave and strongly resists lateral separation, the transoms, besides, providing mounting means for traction equipment such as motors and the like. v

Bellows-type air springs are mounted on the side frames instead of on the bolster, as in the aforementioned patent.

In addition, air springs are provided between the upper portion of the side frames and the center post journal bearing carried by the bolster.

Excess air reservoir capacity for the air springs is provided by detachable air tanks carried by the ends of the bolster instead of providing a large hollow bolster, as in the patent. This arrangement simplifies the bolster construction and increases the access for assembly and repair.

Side anchor bars are connected between the side frames and bolster insteadof between the bolster and car body, as in the aforementioned patent.

The axle-to-side-frame connections provide the three-axis universal movement of the prior patent construction but altered for improved action according to the construction disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 101,697, filed Dec. 28, 1970. The present truck construction of the present invention is designed to take full advantage of this improved construction-of axle supports. The above are the some of main departures from the prior art construction as described in the aforementioned patent. Various details'will be disclosed as the description proceeds.

DRAWINGS I section taken'along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view, partly in vertical transverse section taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. Sis an enlarged partial vertical transverse section showing a transom connected between side frames taken along lines 5 5 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section through the center post connection, in enlargement, taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 2.

SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT The truck comprises two independently movable side frames 20 of rigid hollow construction connected at the ends by resilient joints 22 with wheel-axle units 2 3 wheels-23a and axles 23b. These joint connections allow universal movement about three coordinate axes and restrained transverse movement between wheelaxle units and side .frames while still holding against separation beyond a permissive limited extent. This arrangement is disclosed and more fully described in the prior patent application referred to above. Herein only so much detail of this prior construction is illustrated as they relate the movements of the new truck construction as a whole involved in the present invention.

The side frames 20 are further held together but with free weaving movement by strong rigid transverse tubular transom bars 25 located fore and aft of a central vertical transverse plane. As illustrated in FIG. 5, one end of a transom bar 25 is welded to the side frame 20, as at 26, and the other end is reduced, as at 27, and passes loosely through the central vertical web 28 of a sleeve 29 which is rigidly secured in the side frame, as

by welding 30. Annular velastomeric bushings 31 are threaded on the reduced end on each side of the web 28 and are retained by a cap 32 and a stud screw 33. Thetransomsare reversely mounted, one being rigidly secured to the side frame to which the other has a resilient connection and vice versa. As stated, the transoms are adapted to support traction equipment, such as drive motors and-the like, but this is not shown, hecause'such details are only incidentally related to the present invention.

At mid-length, each side frame 20 has mounted thereon, as by welding, a platform support plate 35 which carries a bellows-type air spring 36 of the type shown in the aforementioned patent. Additional support for this platform plate is provided by a bracket 37 secured, as by welding, to the side frame and to the plate and a bracket 38 on the outer side.

The inner brackets 37 at their inner sides are provided with vertical longitudinal plates 37a on which are mounted transversely disposed bellows-type air springs 40. The inner ends of the air springs 40 are secured to vertical longitudinal sides 41a (FIG. 6) of a central hollow king post frame 41 carried by a transverse bolster 42 having a wide downturned channel shape. Above the side frames the bolster is supported by the vertical air springs 36. The frame 41 has lateral flanges 41b at the top which, in assembly, are disposed below the top web 42a of the bolster and secured thereto in any convenient way, as by bolts 43.

The truck is secured to the car body at the king post joint of the bolster center frame 41, as shown in FIG. 6. The frame 41 has an annular cylindrical top projection 41c which extends through the web 42a of the bolster. Within this annular projection there is disposed an annular king post 45 of a car transom member or transverse load bearer 46. An end plate 47 in the end of the king post is welded in. An elongated keeper plate 48, which extends at it's ends beyond the opening of the annular top projection 41c, lies below the top web 41d of the frame 41. This keeper is secured to the end plate 47, with a spacer 51 therebetween, by bolts 49, there being access above and below for making the connection.

An annular wear sleeve 50 is disposed between the king post 45 and the inner side of the annular projection 41c. This strong king post connection avoids vertical separation and takes starting, travel and braking loads.

Toward the outer ends over the truck side frames the car transom member 46 (FIG. 4) is provided with downturned projecting support pads 55 which bear upon wear pads 56 carried by the truck bolster 42. The pads 56 may be coated or impregnated with antifriction material, such as graphite or teflon.

Supplementary air reservoirs for the vertical and horizontal air springs on each side are provided by air tanks 60 which are secured to the recessed flanged ends of the bolster by lateral tank flanges 60a by means of suitable holds. The air springs are provided with damping valves, not shown, as in the Pioneer patent (FIGS. 4 and 13), and the space beyond is connected to the tank reservoirs by pipes or hoses (not shown). The tanks thus serve like the hollow bolster reservoir of the patent construction.

For limiting longitudinal movement between the bolster and side frames while still allowing limited free movement for weave, there are provided longitudinal stary or anchor bars 65. Each of the anchor bars is secured at one end to a bracket 66 carried by the bolster and secured at the other end to a bracket 67 carried by the side frame. Resilient elastomeric sleeves 68 carried between washers 69, fixed flanges 70 on the anchor bar, and nuts 71 provide yieldable end connections.

Roll resistance is provided by a torsion rod 75 extending transversely across the truck below the bolster. The torsion rodis mounted in bearings 76 carried in sleeves 77 welded in the side frames 20. At its exterior ends, the rod 75 has arms 78 rigidly secured thereon. The bolster 42 is provided with apertured brackets 79. Between the apertured end of an arm 78 and an apertured bracket 79 there is secured an anti-roll rod 80. The connections at each end of the anti-roll bar 80 in eluding a resilient elastomeric sleeve 81 disposed between washers 82 secured against a fixed flange 83 on the rod by a nut 84.

Lateral stop bumpers 88 of elastomeric material are disposed between the brackets 37 and the frame sides 41a. The bumpers 88 are mounted on the brackets 37 fore and aft of the lateral air springs 40. The bumpers 88 limit lateral movement between the bolster and truck side frames and prevent damage to the lateral air springs.

As disclosed in the aforementioned patent application, the spaced elastomeric elements 22a of the axleframe joints 22 (FIG. 3) are preacompressed and the assembly secured by caps 22b.

While not shown, it is to be understood that the usual required safety support connections between body and truck will be provided.

It is thus seen that the invention provides a light, strong, and relatively simple truck construction which can be very quickly assembled with and removed from a car. Also it is easy and convenient to make replacements and repairs. l Because the truck may be individually assembled, the same basic design may be used to accommodate different sizes and types of car bodies. While some changes in structural thicknesses of the parts used and other minor changes may be involved, the basic truck design would be the same for different types of cars.

While one embodiment of the invention has been dis-' closed for purposes of illustration,it is to be understood that there may be various embodiments and modifications within the general scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A railway vehicle truck for supporting a car body, comprising in combination,' two transversely spaced side frames, two longitudinally spaced wheel-axle units each including an axle and two transversely spaced wheels rigidly secured thereto, bearings for the axles on the ends of the side frames providing limited resilient universal movement while preventing any substantial relative axial movement, longitudinally spaced transom bars connected between said side frames intermediate their length and providing weave between the side frames while preventing transverse separation and permitting longitudinal displacement of one side frame with respect to the other, vertical air springs disposed on said frames at their mid-length, horizontal air springs between 'said side frames and said bolster, a source of air pressure connected to supply air pressure to both said vertical and horizontal air springs, a bolster supported on air springs on said side frames at their mid-length, a king post connection between said bolster and a support on the car body, bearing supports for the sides of the car support on said bolster substantially forming a direct-load path through the springs to the side frames, and longitudinally swingable side stay anchor bars connected between said bolster and the side frames.

2. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1, which further includes horizontal air springs between said side frames and said bolster.

3. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1, which further includes an anti-roll torsion rod mounted across said side frames, arms at the ends of said torsion rod, and anti-roll rods connected between said arm and the outer end portions of said bolster.

4. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1,

which further includes auxiliary air reservoir tanks for said air springs mounted on the outer ends of said bolster.

I 5. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transom bars, at at least one end, are secured to a side frame in elastomeric connections which provide free universal movement while substantially preventing transverse movements.

6. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transom bars are rigidly connected to one side frame at one end and attached to the other side its ends disposed beneath a web of said bolster. 

1. A railway vehicle truck for supporting a car body, comprising in combination, two transversely spaced side frames, two longitudinally spaced wheel-axle units each including an axle and two transversely spaced wheels rigidly secured thereto, bearings for the axles on the ends of the side frames providing limited resilient universal movement while preventing any substantial relative axial movement, longitudinally spaced transom bars connected between said side frames intermediate their length and providing weave between the side frames while preventing transverse separation and permitting longitudinal displacement of one side frame with respect to the other, vertical air springs disposed on said frames at their mid-length, horizontal air springs between said side frames and said bolster, a source of air pressure connected to supply air pressure to both said vertical and horizontal air springs, a bolster supported on air springs on said side frames at their mid-length, a king post connection between said bolster and a support on the car body, bearing supports for the sides of the car support on said bolster substantially forming a direct-load path through the springs to the side frames, and longitudinally swingable side stay anchor bars connected between said bolster and the side frames.
 2. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1, which further includes horizontal air springs between said side frames and said bolster.
 3. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1, which further includes an anti-roll torsion rod mounted across said side frames, arms at the ends of said torsion rod, and anti-roll rods connected between said arm and the outer end portions of said bolster.
 4. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1, which further includes auxiliary air reservoir tanks for said air springs mounted on the outer ends of said bolster.
 5. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transom bars, at at least one end, are secured to a side frame in elastomeric connections which provide free universal movement while substantially preventing transverse movements.
 6. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transom bars are rigidly connected to one side frame at one end and attached to the other side frame in a resilient universal connection.
 7. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 6, wherein the rigid and resilient connections of the transom bars are oppositely disposed for the two bars.
 8. A railway vehicle truck as set forth in claim 1, wherein said king post connection between the bolster and car comprises a tubular journal bearing carried by a frame on said bolster and a tubular journal carried by a car transom said tubular journal having an end plate, and a keeper bar secured to said journal end plate with its ends disposed beneath a web of said bolster. 